CHICAGO, October 25, 2011 – Organizing a global anti-capitalist revolution is not as easy as one might think – at least that is what Occupy Wall Street leaders are discovering.

From money squabbles and freeloading ex-cons to the complaints of New Yorker residents and the specter of public health code violations, protesters are being given a crash course in Government 101, whether they like it or not.

Recently, Occupy Wall Street organizers have found themselves besieged with problems from all corners. Questions are now being raised about the $500,000 in donations Occupy Wall Street’s Finance Committee has collected since the protests began.
http://media.washtimes.com/media/community/image/2011/10/25/drumcircle_custom_t268.jpg?7f6c82c4e3ebc52dbf2e980 dcc8631719b6d5f11
Photo Credit: Associated Press

The irony of the situation is not lost on Occupy Wall Street campers, who claim that Finance has yet to “redistribute the wealth.” According to news sources (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/they_want_lice_of_the_occu_pie_9xKCxcI4aectFYkafMb 8UJ#ixzz1bfRt6m3b), drummers requested $8,000 to replace musical instruments that had been destroyed by vandals in Zuccotti. Occupy Wall Street leadership denied the request and now some protesters are threatening a split.
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The strange brew of humanity has created unexpected security issues for the “Occupiers.” Public drunkenness, knife fights, and theft are more and more commonplace. With the seasonal shift, campers are also dealing with dropping temperatures and rain. Dry clothing – even socks – are in short supply, and protesters are irritated with the “takers.”

“If you’re going to come here and get our food, bedding and clothing, have books and medical supplies for no charge, they need to give back,” said Lauren Digioia, 26, told the New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/occupy_wall_street/2011/10/23/2011-10-23_where_vagrants_excons__takers_find_a_home.html) .”There’s a lot of takers here and they feel entitled.”

But, Tea Party leaders argue, isn’t this socialism at work? Inadvertently, Occupy Wall Street has created what it says it is demanding, albeit on a much smaller scale: free food and shelter for the less fortunate and free medical care for all. It is a system where some are working and others, taking. Even theft, arguably, is a “redistribution of wealth” the campers have listed in their anti-Wall Street demands.

“People are waking up to the plain facts that socialism does not work. There is only so much you can “redistribute” before there is nothing left,” said Joe Terrell of Northern Illinois Tea Party. “A popular paraphrase of Prime Minister Thatcher says, ‘The only problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of everyone else’s money.’ I think that quote sums it up perfectly.”
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Unfortunately, Occupy Wall Street’s biggest challenges still lie ahead. Some experts have called the month-long “Occupation” a breeding ground for rats and vermin and have raised the issue of city health code violations. Fed-up Manhattan residents have complained to authorities (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051718/Occupy-Wall-Street-Manhattan-residents-fury-protesters-defecating-doorsteps.html#ixzz1bfYyNrYR), calling for a crackdown on noise, public urination and defecation.
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Occupy Wall Street campground becoming spot for vagrants, ex-cons & ‘takers’ to call home (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/occupy_wall_street/2011/10/23/2011-10-23_where_vagrants_excons__takers_find_a_home.html# ixzz1bqux8mSQ)

Zuccotti Park has become a haven for the homeless.Enticed by the allure of free food and a community of open-minded people, increasing numbers are leaving New York’s shelters to join the Occupy Wall Street protesters. …

Bronx couple Yvette Vigo and Orlando Nieves say they were forced into a shelter a year ago when they could not afford their rent.

They are in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement, which decries corporate greed and social inequality. The couple intends to stay at the park as long as possible.

“I feel safer out here than I did in a shelter,” Vigo, 45, said. “It’s a big area with a lot of kind people.”

Nieves volunteers on Occupy Wall Street’s security team, but says many new arrivals do not pull their weight.

“We have compassion toward everyone. However, we have certain rules and guidelines,” said Lauren Digioia, 26, a member of the sanitation committee.

“If you’re going to come here and get our food, bedding and clothing, have books and medical supplies for no charge, they need to give back,” Digioia said. “There’s a lot of takers here and they feel entitled.“
I have a question for young Lauren and Orlando. When you are inundated with “takers” and those “not pulling their weight”, what then? Do you deport them out of Zuccottiland? Do you still consider them worthy of the same respect you’ve earned? Do they deserve the same nice tent, bedroll and food that you’ve earned through your efforts? What percentage of the collective can be takers before you wake up and realize you are being exploited?